The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-16
Speech OF ~ M. E&itclain, Belly
cred at va, HEOIEy--Au2. IL,
1887, SuhicCs -EAoes s4ss;anO
Paw

efeO stt WV kEOfS ~~7HS' AZ,
1887, Suhiccs -EAoes sSss;anO
ssayn
If no mistakes ard plumbers had
been committed by man or pat'oH
what wonderful, progressive,
prosperous world this would have
been. all mistakes and Dlunde,c
had been directed as soon as dis
covered Low much more prosperous,
powerful and happy we should all
be to-day. Individuals as well as
pa ions fall into errors and follow
and pratice those errors until shey
seem vlgtuna. Ne are 80 constituted
that we become attached to customs
whether right or wrong. Afer ,8G5
the citizens of yhe South naturally
sought substitute, III vbc way Of
farming for slave latU:. The shrewd
manil u!atOr and spectator with his
ingenious cTaIty mind offered that
substitute IN the ehape q rOmMcr-
eial Fertilizers, with guarantee of
larger crops with less Iabo:. The
farmer accepted the offer ond hogan
the use of manipulated fertilizers
AT that time our lands had been
id'e, in a state of rest, ror years AID
were fell of humus ana vegetable
matter, ceady without Ic.tlh. IS :,
with proper cultivation, 0 yield an
abundant harvest. Ia this cond.~
ton this substitute Tor labor was an-
piled, and "eceived the credit of hay
ing almost doubled lie crops. Thus
1eople wee encOu, a1ed aad SIM
uIated to use CON ne"c1al manu ,es
until now it seems pImest ;!nDcSsi-
lie ., tuTn them Loose. II - Stale
has paid Annually more shan four
million dollars for cheese fe" .ilizc S
since 1870 making $4,000 0NO one
half Of which must have been com
plete loss. In addition TO tins Our
lands must be worth Ten million less
intrinslcally than in 1870, making
forty-two million dollars loss to
the people by the use of thes4 So
called fertilizers. 1t is known or
ought to be 10 every farmer ia tie
State thai these so called natures
however high the cOWnerciaI va'ue,
fre worth 'e8s on lands devoid of
humus and vegetable matter. The
soil when exhausted and htokeh
down is like the human system in
the same condition. TIE fertilizers
are applied to our lands hecanse they
fnil to perform their natural fnnc>
tions and yield q profit to ,leir owns
erS, just as stimulants are applied to
tie exhausted and emaciated patient
because nature Las failed to supply
the needed elements of strength anC
healt b land if these applications con-
tinue either 20 the land or the pa>
tent without lay lag the foundation
tor replacing the lost elements CT
nature, both must perish. We believe
it is admitted that these commercial
manures do not pay on soils void of
vegetable matter, but will pay a
handsome profit where lands hay e
rested and contain quantities of veg
etable matter in d decomposed con-
dition.
Now is it not more than possible
that we give credit to these fer ii.
zers instead Of to the decomposed
vegetsb BILE matter and other ingredl-
, ents accumulated in the soil? We
( all know that lands rested and
fallowed in the fall will produce
much better ops the following
year under the SAME conditions ana
circumstances than lands cultivated
the previous year: and this iucreas-
ed productive; e,s We put down t.
the credit Of fertl zers which is
very deceptive and misleading. We
remember tie first guano we ever
used. In 1866 our lands had rested
four y, ais and we're covered with
decay ed weeds, grass aud other